Direct synthesis of carbon nanofibers on the surface of copper powder

A novel approach to synthesize carbon nanofibers (CNFs) directly on the surface of metal μm-sized particles to evenly disperse the carbon nanomaterials in a composite material was proposed. As a metal matrix, 5–10 μm copper particles were utilized. As a carbon source, C2H2, CH4 and CO were examined. The best conditions were found to be in C2H2 (30 cm3/min) and H2 (260 cm3/min) atmosphere at the temperature of 750 °C. The composites based on copper and CNFs prepared by vacuum hot pressing showed the increase in hardness from 35 to 60 kg/mm2 almost retaining pure copper electrical properties.